How many breweries are there in Maine?

There’s a lot of conflicting info out there about number of breweries in Maine, so we wanted to set the record straight. As of October 31, 2016, Maine is home to 89 active, licensed breweries.

Q:How does the Guild count the number of breweries in Maine?A: We count breweries based on active brewery licenses in Maine. In other words – if a facility is licensed as a brewery by the State of Maine’s Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO), then we count it. It’s important to note that this means some breweries you may know by name – such as Sea Dog, Sebago, Gritty’s and others – hold multiple brewery licenses.

Q: How has the number of breweries producing beer in Maine changed over time?A: On July 11, 1986, David L. Geary opened up D.L. Geary Brewing Company in Portland, ME and this was the first new brewery to open east of the Mississippi since the federal prohibition on alcohol production ended. More info is below. This information comes from brewery license data from Maine’s Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO).

Between 1851 – 1933, Maine was under Prohibition, and there were no legal breweries in the state.